Blinking back the memories that hounded me, I shook my head viciously. Rapping on the guest bedroom door, I didn’t wait for Rook to drag his ass out of bed to answer. I shouldered open the barrier, and the stench of body odor and alcohol hit me like a brick wall. Rook curled up on his bed, his greasy hair sticking out from under the sheet, and I shoved my hands in my pockets. Rocking back on my heels, I scowled darkly when Rook poked his head out to look at me through bloodshot eyes.
“Come on, kid. You’ve been drunk for a week. Time to shower and get dressed. I’m takin’ you on a ride.” Groaning miserably, Rook covered his head again, and I grabbed the sheet to yank it off him. Fluttering to the floor, his covering no longer hid the disheveled clothes he’d crossed the border in. Curling into a tight ball, he covered his head with his arms. “Get up. Don’t make me drag you up, ‘cause you know I fuckin’ will. Or do you want me to pour ice water on your ass like your dad did with us when we were bein’ shits?”
“Argh!” I couldn’t deny it. I was surprised when Rook didn’t protest, rolling his ass out of bed and onto unsteady legs. Ruffling his hair, he threw back his head and jerked his shoulders before shooting me a nasty glare. Still, he didn’t protest as he shoved his feet into his sneakers. “Fuckin’ bullshit. I’m not a damn kid, don’t need no one tellin’ me what to fuckin’ do.”
“You’re kiddin’ me. Rook, you’re sure actin’ like a damn kid. Now you need to wipe your ass and put new clothes on. Like fuck are you getting on my bike smelling like a fucking dumpster.” He paused, lip curling in a nasty snarl, as I pointed to a big bag sitting on the dresser. “Get in the shower. You’ll feel better after.”
“Why do you give a fuck? You shouldn’t. You’re the one who ran away, remember?” Man, he’s got it bad. I shook my head as Rook oozed aggressiveness, almost to the point of lunacy. Stomping over to the bag, he dumped the entire contents on the floor to rifle through it. There were a few pairs of jeans, some shirts, socks, nothing fantastic, but more than he had. He grabbed a bottle of shampoo and frowned down at it, his emotions waging a war of attrition on his face. “Why do you give a fuck, Bruiser?”
“It hurts, Rook. Leaving. Did you think I wanted to come here? No, I did it because Minter told me to. And it was the best damn thing that ever happened to me. I’m not sayin’ it’ll work that way for you, but you’ll never know if you rot into the mattress. It’s been a week and a half. It’s about time we have a talk.” At least the kid was listening to me, I thought. An ugly, black blotch spread across my chest, and I rubbed my head and neck as he cast me a pained look. Sitting on the edge of his bed, I clasped my hands together before he slowly reached to pick up the clothes and gingerly put them on the dresser. “Spyder, the guys and me, you’re here because we want you here. You weren’t thrown away, Rook. You aren’t being punished. I know it’s probably what you’re thinkin’ right about now, but that’s not how your dad works. Do you understand the magnitude of what he asked of us? He wouldn’t unless he thought there wasn’t another way. I don’t know what happened with you, but if you’re feeling guilty or ashamed—”
“Fuck you, Bruiser. I’m not guilty. I didn’t do shit!” Hissing viciously, Rooks’ face reddened before he turned away from me to storm out of the room. My gut twisted, and I clenched and released my fists as my mind churned. Definitely, something involving a woman.
Did he knock some girl up? Did he fuck someone’s wife or girlfriend and get caught? For all intents and purposes, Rook was a snot-nosed little bitch that hadn’t quite gotten to the point of reigning himself in. Of course, he didn’t exactly have the tools up in Canada. My uncle ran drugs and bootlegged, but it was more interesting than Utah, that’s for damn sure, and it didn’t surprise me that boredom led to trouble. Rook wasn’t the worst of the worst, so I found peace in that. He’s a kid, barely old enough to buy cigarettes. Sometimes guys around that age just have a knack for stirrin’ shit up. I know I did when I was his age.
“I’ll find out soon enough.” Standing up, I tensed when my phone vibrated against my thigh, and I left Rook’s room before fishing the device out. Surprise rose my brows, and I answered to call to clear my throat roughly. “Hey, baby. How’s it goin’?”
“Guess what just happened, guess! Guess!” Excitement dribbled from the speaker and down my jaw, and I smiled before Nicole continued talking. She didn’t give me a chance to answer, and I walked down the short hallway to the living room to drop onto the sofa. “I got my biggest order today! It’s a painting of this guy’s wife and daughters. Huge landscape panoramic style, kinda. He wants it to be life-sized, too. So, it’ll be like five-by-fifteen. And he’s paying me twenty thousand dollars for it, which is .
